Choosing Sides
by WannaBeSlayer
Summary: Sango runs after the group betrays her. Where will she end up?
1. Chapter 1

Sango panted, a smile of joy covering her face. They had done it, by some miracle they had finally killed Naraku. The whole fight was hazy, her mind clouded with rage and determination. The only clear memory was Naraku's last scream as it split the air.

They had finally succeeded. They had rid the Earth of him. When she turned to face her teammates however her happiness changed to confusion. Instead of the exhiliration that she had been expecting they all looked upset.

"What's wrong you guys? We finally killed Naraku!"

Kagome and Miroku kept their faces averted as Inuyasha looked straight into Sango's eyes.

"I'm sorry Sango but I need it."

"Need what?"

The confusion on Sango's face turned to horror as she realized what they were about to do. Sango found herself unable to move, disbelief clouding her face.

"You can't be serious? You can't do this to me! You know how much I wanted him back!"

Her friends were surrounding her little brother, who was crouched on the ground crying from the return of his memories. Inuyasha grabbed him by his forearm and roughly pulled him up. Kohaku's eyes lifted and took in the scene around him: his sister screaming at her friends as they were gathered around him. What was about to happen dawned on him and he looked at Sango.

"It's alright Ane-ue. I can't go back...not anymore."

He looked up tiredly at Inuyasha.

"Please...set me free."

As Inuyasha started to reach his other hand around Kohaku's back Sango ran towards them. The sheer shock of the situation had worn off and she ran.

"Stop. Don't do it!"

However she wasn't fast enough and just as she reached out to grab Kohaku's other arm Inuyasha pulled the jewel shard out of his back and he fell limp. Inuyasha turned and handed the jewel shard to Kagome who purified it. Sango dropped to her knees and pulled her brother's limp body into her arms.

"Kohaku? It's okay Kohaku, we finally killed Naraku. Kohaku?"

Her body trembled as tears ran down her face. The others looked on as she continued to babble to her dead brother that it wasn't his fault, that he doesn't need to die. Finally Kagome stepped forward and placed her hand on Sango's shoulder.

"Sango, he's already gone. This is for the best, he wouldn't have been able to live with what he did."

Sango stiffened. Slowly she turned to face her friends with her bangs covering her eyes.

"Why? Why did you do this?"

The three looked at each other and Miroku stepped forward.

"You have to understand Sango, he wasn't your little brother anymore. Do you think he could have lived happily remembering everything that he had done? I understand that you are upset-"

"Upset?"

Sango's head snapped up and her eyes glowed with hatred. A harsh laugh fell from her lips.

"You people understand nothing! You keep making it sound like you knew Kohaku. You knew nothing about him! You weren't there when he was born, when he lost his first tooth, when he started training. You know nothing about my little brother!"

Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome took a step back and moved closer to each other. Sango slowly stood, lowering her brother's body back to the ground. She kept her eyes on the people in front of her as her tear-stained face broke out in a vicious smile.

"Don't make it sound like you did it for his sake. You did it for yourselves, for that damn jewel! You knew I'd never get him back but you encouraged the hope that I had anyway because you needed me to defeat Naraku."

Slowly Sango walked forward towards them. Kagome finally had to break the chilling silence.

"You know that Inuyasha had to complete the jewel. He needs it Sango."

"Kinda like how I needed my brother?"

Sango came to a stop right in front of Kagome. She stared at the girl that came from the future, the one that had lost nothing.

"You don't understand Sango, Inuyasha is dying. We decided to use the jewel so that he would be able to live."

Sango looked at Kagome, who was in tears, in disbelief. The two males stood on either side of the futuristic girl, not wanting to be involved in this particular fight.

"What about my brother? What about his life?"

She couldn't take it anymore, she grabbed the jewel from Kagome's hands. It was all for this stupid jewel. So many people died because this stupid thing exists. As if in slow motion she saw three sets of hands reaching towards her. Before they could touch her she screamed her wish to the sky.

"I wish the Shikon no Tama was in a place that it could never be found!"


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome stared in shock as the white light began to fade. Inuyasha and Miroku seemed to be as speechless as she was. The only one with the ability to say anything was Sango.

"And now you will know the suffering that you caused me. You'll feel what it is like to have what you love the most ripped from you in an act of betrayal. I hope it eats at you for as long as you live."

Before anyone had thought to move Sango had already taken off. Tears slowly filled Kagome's eyes as she turned to look at Inuyasha. He had a look of horror and numb acceptance in his eyes. He was going to die.

"That was the only way Kagome. The only way to save me."

At his words a sob broke out from between her lips and she embraced him like she would a child. Taking as much comfort as she was giving. Tears poured down her cheeks as she tried to offer comfort him even though her heart was breaking.

"It'll be okay Inuyasha. We can get through this. With my spiritual powers there is always a chance that we can find the jewel again."

She couldn't live without him anymore. She didn't remember how. Even if she had to walk over every inch of this forsaken wilderness she would, just for him. Slowly Inuyasha's arms came up to embrace her and as his claws dug into the fabric of her uniform he nodded his head in agreement burying his fair in her hair. Miroku coughed discreetly announcing that he was still standing there since he seemed to be forgotten as the couple embraced. He looked worriedly at the body of Kohaku and turned to Inuyasha who had left the confines of Kagome's arms. Albeit reluctantly.

"What're we going to do?"

"Of course we are going after the jewel, it's the only way." Inuyasha stated in a rather peeved voice, annoyed that he had to state the obvious.

"No, about Sango. Are we going to go after her?"

"I see no point in going after a woman that just signed my death warrant!"

Kagome understood that what they were doing would hurt Sango but she would have never thought that Sango would react in such a way. Did the older girl honestly think that she could go back to the way things were? Even though she understood that Sango was grieving she still found herself feeling angry and betrayed at her because of what she had condemned Inuyasha to.

"Well, if we aren't going after her we should at least bury Kohaku before we leave."

"Keh I don't see why. She'll probably just come back when we leave and do it herself."

"Inuyasha you do understand that we killed this young man don't you? The least we could do is give him a proper funeral."

Kagome and Inuyasha looked away from Miroku, realizing that he had a point but still upset.

"How can you kill someone that's dead? Whatever, I just have to help bury him right?"

While Miroku and Inuyasha dug a grave and prepared Kohaku, Kagome stood to the side wondering what was going to happen now. She turned as she heard a soft mew behind her. Kirara had been knocked unconscious during the battle and was finally getting up. Unable to find Sango Kirara went and jumped on Kagome's shoulder with a confused mew but Kagome just reached up and pet the demon cat. She was unable to voice what had happened to her friend's faithful companion. She had realized from the start that they would be killing Kohaku but she never really thought about it that way. She always thought of it as saving Inuyasha. Even now she couldn't bring herself to regret the choice she had made but she found herself glad that Kirara and Shippou hadn't seen it. Kirara because she was unconscious and Shippou because they had left him at Kaede's.

"Sorry Kirara but I don't know where Sango is."

They finished burying Kohaku and Miroku said a prayer at his grave before they walked away. They didn't know where they were going yet but either way standing still would get them nowhere.


	3. Chapter 3

Sango ran. She didn't know where she was or where she was going but still she ran. The thoughts just flashed through her head nonstop. Why? Why had this happened? She had known that they wanted the jewel shard. But they had always given her hope, telling her that they could save her brother. Whenever she had hit rock bottom they had always been right there to pick her up. Why had they pushed her on? Why had she believed them? How could they betray her and make it seem like they were doing her a favor. She should have never trusted them. Kohaku was gone and it was all their fault. No, it wasn't their fault, it was hers because she was the one who trusted them. She just didn't understand.

"How could they do this to me? Kohaku, Kohaku, Kohaku!"

She screamed as she ran, unable to control her grief. She pushed her body to its very limit for hours before she finally collapsed. She fell onto her knees with her fingers gripping into the soil as her body heaved. I just…I just can't believe this. Tears poured down her cheeks as she screamed her denial and pain to the sky above. A part of her had known that Kohaku was going to die, that he couldn't be saved. However her love for her brother and her friends' encouragement had given her hope that she could save him. Why?

Slowly her body stopped its heaving and she looked around at her surroundings. She was in a forest but this wasn't just any forest, this was the cursed forest. The implications of where she was set in but she found herself unable to feel anything but grateful for the haven that this place would prove to be. Nobody came through here because it was said to be cursed with the soul of the witch, Fazeal. Not even demons passed through here unless they either didn't know of the legend or they thought no witch could touch them.

Fazeal had been famous for healing anybody who needed a healer with no charge. All of her wards lived no matter how hurt they were. But her power had made people leery of approaching her. Rumors started to spread until one day when her lover betrayed her and stabbed her through her stomach. She had died slowly but as blood rose beneath her lips she had cursed the people that had betrayed her. Soon after people started dying in the village. The people that hadn't died of the strange disease ran away, screaming how the witch was killing them. The village had slowly started to deteriorate and vegetation grew everywhere until it was surrounded by a forest. Many people avoided this forest because of the old legend and the fact that nobody who walked in here had ever walked out.

She had always been somewhat wary of the forest and kept her distance because of all the strange stories surrounding it. However if she wanted to hide from her old comrades then this place was the best that she could ask for. There was some kind of masking power that made it impossible for someone to find you in this forest. Not even if he used his demon senses would Inuyasha be able to track her down here, that alone made it a good choice for her to stay there. The added bonus was that besides her old friends, nobody else would find her here either. It was fine with her if nobody ever found her and she lived the rest of her life here. She didn't want to deal with people and their betrayals anymore.

Unfortunately the forest didn't seem to want her there. As she stood and took a step forward she could feel it trying to push her out but she didn't mind. She could only think of this place as her safe haven. Whether she was accepted by the forest or not she had enough skill to be able to live here. However with the realization that she was safe her adrenaline ran out and exhaustion hit her forcefully. She made her way slowly towards a clearing so that if something attacked while she slept it wouldn't be able to hide itself. As she fell asleep her last thought was about her brother.


End file.
